]2] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



greatest military cliicfs of tlie re- 

 public, and what Bnonajiartc wish- 

 ed and aimed at, the union of all 

 parties. It served also, in some 

 measure, to lull all suspicion of an 

 approaching political explosion. It 

 could scarcely he expected that any 

 plots were hatching in an assembly 

 convened for the expression of com- 

 mon sentiments, and harmonized 

 by the power of music. The Tem- 

 ple of Victory was adorned for the 

 occasion in the most magnilicent 

 manner. There was a display of 

 the most beautiful tapestries of the 

 gobelins, and the walls were deco- 

 rated with an immense number of 

 standards, taken in the course of 

 the war from the enemies of the 

 republic. On the organ of tlie 

 church, or temple, various airs were 

 played suitable to the occasion. To 

 this feast there were no women * 

 admitted, nor yet any spectators. 

 The number of guests was seven 

 liundred and fifty. At the head of 

 the principal table was placed the 

 president of the council of ciders ; 

 on his right hand Gohier, the pre- 

 sident of the directory ; on his left, 

 general Moreau ; next in order 



came Lucien Buonaparte, presi- 

 dent of the council of live hundred, 

 and then the general, his brother. 

 Among the toasts that were given 

 there were two, which were sup- 

 posed to express the sentiments of 

 the better and soimder part of the 

 nation. The president of the di- 

 rectory gave for his toast, "peace;" 

 general Buonaiiartc, " the union of 

 all Frenchmen." Neither the gene- 

 rals Jourdan and Augereau, nor 

 Briot, nor some others of the most 

 active jacobins, tliough members of 

 the legislature, came to this enter- 

 tainment : the tone of whicli was 

 not suited to their tempers. It was 

 characterized from beginning to 

 end by silence, and an air of con- 

 straint. There was no other con- 

 vci'sation than some observations on 

 the music. After some public 

 toasts Buonaparte disappeai-ed, 

 and the feast was over in little 

 more than an hour. 



In jiroportion as matters were 

 concerted between Buonaparte and 

 Sieycs, and Roederer, whom they 

 admitted as their confident and 

 co-adjutor, f and as their jiroject 

 seemed practicable and ripe for 



• The women in France, after all their zealous sen-ices in the revohition, have been 

 but very scurvily treated by their countrymen, " mark too what return the women 

 have met with for all their horrid services, v/liere, to express tlieir sentiments of 

 civism and abhorrence of royalty, they tlucw away tlic character of their sex, and 

 cut the amputated limbs of their murdered countrymen. Surely these patriotic 

 women merited that the rights of their sex should be considered in full council, 

 and they were well entitled to a scat ; but there is not a single act of their govern- 

 ment, in which the sex is considered as having any rights whatever, or that they are 

 things to be cared for.'' — Professor Robinsoii's Proofs of a Conspiracy against all the 

 Religions and Governments of Europe. 



•f Roederer, originally from Lorraine, and formerly a counsellor in the parliament 

 of Metz, was appointed a member of the constituent assembly. He then became a 

 procurcur syndic of the department of Paris, journalist and political writer. He 

 was a valuable tool to most of the jacobins that succeeded each otiier in the govern- 

 ment. Heescaped t'jrough them all, and cultivated the favour of all who were will- 

 ing to employ him. He is charged by many with deceit, perfidy, and roguery. 

 These charges may be the olTspring, in times of such fierce contention, of hatredand 

 envy.f ti s, however, universally allowed that no one in Paris, not even a lawyer, de- 

 served a fligher reputation for intrigue, phability, and artifice. He certainly was not 



